哈哈漫画

"Cheng-cheng, be good now," Old Madam Lu gently rocked Lu Liucheng, trying to calm him down.

"Grandmother, why don't you put Cheng-cheng on the couch? Let him play by himself," Li Xia suggested, noticing Old Madam Lu's struggle to soothe Lu Liucheng. She took the child and placed him on the couch, giving him a rattle to play with.

With the toy in hand, Lu Liucheng contentedly played by himself on the couch.

"I'm truly getting old," Old Madam Lu sighed, flexing her arms. She felt tired after holding her great-grandson for just a short while. She reminisced about the time when her son left; her hair was still jet black then. Now, looking at her graying hair, Old Madam Lu sighed once more.

"Grandmother, you should be happy. Father-in-law and the others are coming back," Li Xia said with a smile, noticing Old Madam Lu's melancholy expression.

"You're right, I should be happy. Our family will be reunited," Old Madam Lu nodded.

"Father-in-law mentioned in his letter that little brother looks just like grandfather. What did grandfather look like when he was young?" Li Xia asked, unable to imagine a younger version of Old Marquis Lu, whose face was now mostly hidden behind a beard.

Old Madam Lu laughed at Li Xia's question. "You might not believe it, but despite the old man's current stern appearance, he had a baby face when he was young. At eighteen, he looked like he was fourteen. I remember the first time he went to the military camp, the guard at the gate mistook him for a child trying to sneak in wearing an adult's uniform."

Old Madam Lu couldn't help but laugh heartily at the memory. Li Xia joined in, surprised to learn this side of Old Marquis Lu. "What happened next? How did grandfather get into the camp?" she asked.

"Well, your grandfather ended up beating up the guard and forcing his way in. The incident caught the attention of the general on duty. The general was impressed by your grandfather's skills and promoted him," Old Madam Lu continued.

Old Marquis Lu, who had just entered the room, overheard the conversation about his youthful mishaps and interrupted, "Old woman, why are you telling these stories?"

"Grandfather, I was just listening to grandmother talk about how impressive you were in your youth," Li Xia stood up, making room for Old Marquis Lu and personally poured him a cup of tea.

"Do you think I'm deaf? You two were clearly discussing my embarrassing youthful incidents," Old Marquis Lu grumbled, about to say more when he let out a yelp. The three of them looked down to see Lu Liucheng clutching a handful of his beard.

Lu Liucheng, upon seeing Old Marquis Lu, had abandoned his rattle and crawled into the old man's lap. Taking advantage of the distraction, he had given the old man's beard a firm tug.

Seeing the three adults looking at him, Lu Liucheng grinned happily, releasing the beard and reaching out to grab it again. Li Xia quickly scooped him up, her tone stern as she called out, "Cheng-cheng."

Suspended in the air, Lu Liucheng saw Li Xia's stern face. His lips quivered, and he began to cry.

Old Marquis Lu's heart melted at the sound. He quickly reached out to take Lu Liucheng in his arms. "There, there, my good grandson. Don't cry. Great-grandfather doesn't hurt. You like great-grandfather's beard? Here, grab it again," he said, deliberately placing his beard within the child's reach.

Li Xia watched the scene with a mix of exasperation and amusement, finally understanding the saying about grandparents spoiling their grandchildren. She called out helplessly, "Grandfather, you shouldn't indulge Cheng-cheng like this."

"How am I indulging him? I was planning to shave my beard anyway. Cheng-cheng is being filial, saving me the trouble of shaving," Old Marquis Lu replied, leaving Li Xia at a loss for words.

Old Madam Lu also found herself speechless, amazed at the lengths her husband would go for their great-grandson.

Knowing that whatever she said, Old Marquis Lu would have a retort, Li Xia fell silent. She watched as Lu Liucheng gleefully pulled at the old man's beard while Old Marquis Lu winced in pain but continued to encourage the child, insisting it didn't hurt.

Meanwhile, Lu XuanNing led a group to the city gates to await the return of his parents and younger brother.

"They're here!" Qiuchan, who had climbed to a high point, spotted the Lu family banner.

Lu XuanNing urged his horse, Wu Hen, forward. Wu Hen galloped ahead.

The Marquis of Beining and his wife, Madam Zhou, smiled as they saw Lu XuanNing approaching on horseback. As Lu XuanNing drew near, they noticed the scar on his face. When they saw him dismount and walk towards them with an unsteady gait, Madam Zhou's eyes welled up with tears, her face etched with concern. Her once handsome son now bore a disfiguring scar, and her heart ached at the sight.

"Father, Mother, your son has come to welcome you home," Lu XuanNing said, kneeling before them.

"Good, let's go home," the Marquis of Beining said, helping Lu XuanNing to his feet. Despite being accustomed to the brutalities of war at the frontier, seeing his own son so severely injured stirred a complex mix of emotions within him.

From behind them came the young voice of Lu Xuanyu, "Father, Mother!"

"XuanNing, this is your little brother, Xuanyu," Madam Zhang introduced, lifting Lu Xuanyu. She then turned to the boy, "Xuanyu, this is your big brother. Say hello to big brother."

"Big brother," Lu Xuanyu called out in his clear, childish voice.

"Good boy," Lu XuanNing said, patting Lu Xuanyu's head.

As the Marquis of Beining returned home after more than a decade, he gazed at the time-worn stone lions at the entrance, marveling at the passage of time.

Collecting himself, he strode into the main courtyard. Seeing his parents seated in the place of honor, he quickly walked forward and fell to his knees. "Father, Mother, your unfilial son has returned," he said. Madam Zhou, carrying Lu Xuanyu, also knelt beside him.

"Get up, get up quickly," Old Madam Lu hurriedly rose to help Madam Zhou to her feet. "Let the big fellow kneel if he must, but you shouldn't," she said, carefully examining Madam Zhou for any signs of injury.

"Mother, I'm fine. Come, Xuanyu, greet your grandmother," Madam Zhou said, pulling Lu Xuanyu forward.

Confused by the Marquis of Beining's actions, Lu Xuanyu hesitated before responding to Madam Zhou's prompt with a timid, "Grandmother."

Old Madam Lu looked at her young grandson with a kind smile, pulling him close. "Oh, Xuanyu, you've grown so big!"

The overlooked Marquis of Beining stood up, following his wife and son.

Lu XuanNing and Li Xia, holding Lu Liucheng, paid their respects to the Marquis and his wife. The Marquis gifted them two pieces of jade, while Madam Zhou presented a set of frontier-style jewelry. Madam Zhou then took Lu Liucheng into her arms. The baby, not at all shy, beamed at her.

Delighted by her grandson's smile, Madam Zhou hugged Lu Liucheng tightly.

Lu Xuanyu stood to the side, gazing longingly at Lu Liucheng. Noticing this, Madam Zhou lowered herself to let him see his little nephew.

"Little brother, little brother," Lu Xuanyu called out, causing the adults in the room to pause before breaking into laughter.

Confused by the adults' laughter and unsure of his mistake, Lu Xuanyu reached out to hold Lu Liucheng's tiny hand, exclaiming, "Little brother, little brother is cute!"

"Xuanyu, this is your elder brother's child. He's your nephew. You are his little uncle," Madam Zhou explained with a smile, knowing that Lu Xuanyu had always wanted a younger brother. However, Lu Xuanyu ignored her completely and kept calling the baby his little brother.

The three Lu men went to the study to talk. The three women—grandmother, mother, and daughter-in-law—sat together discussing the child. Most of the conversation was between Old Madam Lu and Madam Zhou. Li Xia listened, offering appropriate responses when addressed. Madam Zhou observed Li Xia's polite demeanor with cool eyes, her reservations about Li Xia diminishing slightly.